2014 Big Data Outlook: Opportunities and Challenges

The survey tried to dig a layer deeper to provide insight into potential roadblocks that might cause companies to put off or not undertake Big Data efforts.

Dealing with large data volumes: One big concern, of course, is accommodating the “big” in Big Data. Almost half (46 percent) of the respondents said that their company was already managing 10TB of data or more for analytics in a typical month. And 21 percent of the respondents said they were managing 100TB or more per month.

Evolving thoughts on where data should be stored: As more companies explore Big Data analytics as a means to gain a competitive advantage or improve operations, there are some interesting shifts in where data is housed.

Addressing scalability of Big Data initiatives: As companies realize the benefits of initial Big Data projects, they naturally will want to expand their efforts. To scale such efforts and truly gain a competitive advantage, they will need to accommodate more data (of course), but in most cases they will need to expand the use of Big Data analytics to many more users.

Big Data has the potential to help companies improve operations and make faster, more intelligent decisions. As such, Big Data initiatives are poised for explosive growth. But like any new technology, there are obstacles that might prevent companies from realizing the full benefits that Big Data can provide.

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